The science of underwater sonar equipment is increasingly relying on the use of fiber-optic technology. This reliance is driven by the requirement to have more acoustic sensors per sonar system, with higher sensitivities and lower cost.
Passive sonar arrays towed from submarines or surface ships are excellent candidates for fiber-optic sensor technology. In this area, an all optical fiber hydrophone assembly is a recent development by the United States Naval Research Laboratories. The hydrophone assembly consists of a series of air-backed plastic cylinders, called mandrels, which are helically wrapped with optical sensing fiber. The hydrophone senses sound pressure levels through the strain induced in the optical sensing fiber as the sound pressure wave deforms the mandrel. Strain is imparted in the fiber in direct proportion to the pressure induced strain in the mandrel. The characteristics of the light signal transmitted through the fiber change in relation to the strain in the fiber, allowing measurement of the sound pressure level based on the change in the light signal. The mandrels are interconnected by axial interconnect springs to form a line of mandrels that make up the hydrophone assembly. The hydrophone assembly is integrated into a discrete thin-line acoustic module. Modules typically range from 50 to 250 feet in length. End-to-end connection of modules forms long optical hydrophone sonar arrays. Bulkhead couplings are located at each end of the modules and provide connections between adjacent modules. The active sensing hydrophone fiber must transition into and through the module couplings. This requires the interconnection of optical fibers.
While large bandwidth capabilities and small size make optical fibers desirable for use, optical fibers are mechanically fragile. Tow-induced loads may cause the fibers to fracture. Such loads may be induced in deployment and recovery operations of the acoustic array, in towing of the acoustic array by drag loading induced elongation, and in bending of the optical fiber. The optical fiber is bent when the optical hydrophone sonar array is wound on a handling system reel. Radial compressive loads may cause degraded light transmission as the result of a phenomenon known as microbending loss. Stress corrosion is another cause of failure of optical fibers, and is a stress-accelerated chemical reaction between the optical fiber glass and water that can result in microcracks in the glass, adversely effecting fiber performance.
To accommodate desired growth in the field of optical fiber hydrophones, it is necessary that new apparatus and methods for use with optical hydrophone sensor technology be developed to protect the fibers from mechanical failure. For example, while the optical fiber is relatively well protected while wound on the hydrophone mandrels and interconnect springs, there is a need for a reliable means of transitioning optical fibers on and off the optical hydrophone assembly in the critical areas at each end of the module where the fiber transitions to the bulkhead coupling. There is also a need for protecting the optical fibers as they make the transition from the optical hydrophone sensors to optical-mechanical terminations that provide interconnectivity through the bulkheads to other towed sonar array modules.
Optical fibers serving individual modules are limited in the number of light transmission channels available for communication with the monitoring equipment in the vessel. Multiple optical fibers may therefore be required to service an entire hydrophone array. These bypass fibers are needed in order to serve aft modules in the hydrophone array. Optical fibers that service modules aft of the forward module must bypass the hydrophone assembly of one or more modules by a route outside of the hydrophone assembly, creating the need for protection of the bypass fibers. The bypass fibers are aligned with the module central axis proximate to each end of the module. The bypass fibers transition to be substantially parallel to the module central axis and alongside the hydrophone assembly. Bypass fibers must be protected from strain resulting from tow speed induced-drag loading. Reliable end terminations are also required.
Modules require a fill fluid in order to have neutral buoyancy. Means for filling the module that provide a seal for both the module and for the fiber that passes through the module seal are needed. There is also a need for improvement in the physical connections between the optical fibers of adjacent modules. Existing optical towed sonar arrays use various configurations of standard optical connector technologies. Specially designed optical-mechanical connectors are available, but require large physical space envelopes, both in diameter and length. Such connectors include fiber splice trays, which are commercially available, but are too large for retrofitting into thinline towed sonar arrays.
A general splicing technique with proven reliability is also needed. Fiber splicing is a necessary step in integrating prefabricated subcomponents of hydrophone assemblies into the towed array optical module assembly. The optical fiber end terminations should be fabricated off-line, eliminating the need, and the risk of damage, for integrating the active sensing fiber into the end termination components. The splicing apparatus should also be effective in repairing an optical fiber break during the hydrophone winding process during fabrication of the optical hydrophone assembly.